The Arkadian city of Lousoi, of which “even no remains” can be seen in the time of Pausanias, can now be seen again, albeit with reservation: sometimes the site is closed to visitors. The site has been (partly) carefully examined by the Austrian archaeological school. Of particular interest are the remains of Hellenistic houses, and the temple of Artemis mentioned by Pausanias. The Hellenistic Lousoi was relatively prosperous: the houses were equipped with an andron (a “men’s room” where the male population could dine or celebrate in a private way, with up to 11 beds), and each with a bathtub and a (unique) terracotta fireplace . The population lived on arable farming and animal husbandry, and (to a modest extent) manual labor. Storage rooms have been found with pithoi and amphoras for storage, basins for wine production, kilns for ceramics production, weaving weights and remains that indicate bone processing. The bone remains mainly come from sheep, goats, cattle and horses. A unique feature of the temple is its floor plan, because stoa with half columns are secured on the north and south side. The temple now measures approximately 20 x 30 m. The acropolis is higher up, on the Profitis Iliad and still has remains of walls and towers.

Above and right: a few photos of the excavated house plans at Lousoi, and a map of the excavation site in the “lower town”. On the right, the Artemis temple, under the map of the “upper town”. Apart from the temple, the other buildings are in a sorry state.